SS William Patterson

History
United States
Name	William Patterson
Namesake	William Patterson
Owner	War Shipping Administration (WSA)
Operator	A.H. Bull & Co., Inc.
Ordered	as type (EC2-S-C1) hull, MCE hull 48
Awarded	14 March 1941
Builder	Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland[2]
Cost	$1,063,819[1]
Yard number	2035
Way number	9
Laid down	29 April 1942
Launched	26 June 1942
Sponsored by	Miss Gladys Mitchell
Completed	13 July 1942
Refit	converted to EC2-G-8g, 14 September 1957
Identification	Call sign: KFVC [1]
Fate	Laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York, 23 September 1948 Laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina, 16 May 1952 Transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service, 14 September 1957
United States
Name	William Patterson
Owner	Military Sea Transportation Service
Operator	Lykes Brothers Steamship Co., Inc.
Cost	$1,857,999 (refit cost)
Acquired	14 September 1957
In service	14 September 1957
Out of service	23 March 1961
Fate	Laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York, 23 March 1961 Sold for scrapping, 23 November 1970, withdrawn from fleet, 1 January 1971
General characteristics [3] [4]
Class and type	Liberty ship type EC2-S-C1, standard
Type	EC2-G-8g (1955-) (refit)
Tonnage	10,865 LT DWT 7,176 GRT
Displacement	3,380 long tons (3,434 t) (light) 14,245 long tons (14,474 t) (max)
Length	441 ft 6 in (134.57 m) oa 467 ft 3 in (142.42 m) oa (refit)
Beam	57 feet (17 m)
Draft	27 ft 9.25 in (8.4646 m)
Installed power	2 × Oil fired 450 °F (232 °C) boilers, operating at 220 psi (1,500 kPa) (removed in refit) 2,500 hp (1,900 kW) 6 × Cleveland Diesel Engine Division gas generators (refit) 2 × Gas turbines 6,000 hp (4,500 kW) (refit)
Propulsion	1 × triple-expansion steam engine, (manufactured by Worthington Pump & Machinery Corp, Harrison, New Jersey) (removed in refit) 1 × Geared reduction drive (refit) 1 × screw propeller
Speed	11.5 knots (21.3 km/h; 13.2 mph) 15.4 kn (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph) (refit trial)
Capacity	562,608 cubic feet (15,931 m3) (grain) 499,573 cubic feet (14,146 m3) (bale)
Complement	38–62 USMM 21–40 USNAG
Armament	Varied by ship Bow-mounted 3 inches (76 mm)/50 caliber gun Stern-mounted 4 inches (102 mm)/50 caliber gun 2–8 × single 20 millimeters (0.79 in) Oerlikon anti-aircraft (AA) cannons and/or, 2–8 × 37 millimeters (1.46 in) M1 AA guns
Notes	New cargo handling gear installed during refit

SS William Patterson was a Liberty ship built in the United States during World War II. She was named after William Patterson, a businessman, a gun-runner during the American Revolution, and a founder of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

Construction

William Patterson was laid down on 29 April 1942, under a Maritime Commission (MARCOM) contract, MCE hull 48, by the Bethlehem-Fairfield Shipyard, Baltimore, Maryland; she was sponsored by Miss Gladys Mitchell, the daughter of John Mitchell, the Baltimore representative of the US Salvage Association, and was launched on 26 June 1942.^[2][1]

History

She was allocated to A.H. Bull & Co., Inc., on 13 July 1942.^[5]

On 23 September 1948, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. On 31 October 1949, she was withdrawn from the fleet to be loaded with grain. She returned loaded on 14 November 1949. On 2 March 1951, she was withdrawn from the fleet to have her load of grain unloaded. On 16 May 1952, she was laid up in the National Defense Reserve Fleet, Wilmington, North Carolina. On 14 September 1955, she was withdrawn from the fleet for test conversion to gas generator fed gas turbine power. Bethlehem Steel, in Baltimore, performed the conversion and she was reclassified EC2-G-8g. Her hull was lengthened at the bow to 467 ft 3 in (142.42 m), and six new Cleveland Diesel Engine Division free piston gas generators, producing 1,200 hp (890 kW) each, and two reversible 3,000 shp (2,200 kW) gas turbines, connected directly to the ship's propeller through double reduction gear, were installed. The free piston generators provided moderate pressure gas which fed the gas turbines. At trials she ran 15.4 kn (28.5 km/h; 17.7 mph), above the requested 15 kn (28 km/h; 17 mph).^[4]

After conversion she was transferred to the Military Sea Transportation Service. She was operated by Lykes Brothers Steamship Co., Inc. under a bareboat charter.^[4]

On 23 March 1961, she was laid up in the Hudson River Reserve Fleet, Jones Point, New York. She was sold for scrapping on 23 November 1970, to Hierros Ardes, SA., along with three other ships, for $267,070. She was removed from the fleet, 17 January 1971.^[5]

References

Bibliography